From March, Vueling will operate two weekly flights on a Tuesday and Friday, increasing to three flights from June with an extra Sunday service.

“We are delighted to welcome Vueling Airlines to Newcastle Airport for summer 2016, providing further choice for customers looking to visit Barcelona at affordable fares,” said Leon McQuaid, aviation development manager at Newcastle International Airport.

“We look forward to seeing many more passengers travelling to this exciting city and also connecting on to Vueling’s extensive route network to destinations such as Madrid, Seville and Bilbao.

“As well as anticipating further growth in outbound tourism we also expect this service to deliver a significant increase of inbound traffic to the region.”

Vueling is the largest airline operating from Barcelona’s El Prat Airport, which is 12km southwest of the city centre, and is part of International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.

Flights to Newcastle, aboard a 180 seat Airbus A320, will depart from Barcelona at 11.10am and jet back out to Spain at 1.50pm.

Fares currently start from £80.32 return including taxes.

Councillor Iain Malcolm, the leader of South Tyneside Council and head of the airport’s local authority shareholder group, said: “I am delighted to welcome Vueling Airlines to the North East and secure this new service to Barcelona.

Councillor Iain Malcolm

“This new service will allow extra choice and more opportunity for Spanish visitors to fly directly into the region, while providing easy and affordable access to the many attractions on offer.”

Sarah Stewart, chief executive of the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, said she hoped that inbound passengers would give a boost to the region’s businesses.

“International visitors to the region contribute significantly to the local visitor economy, which currently stands at £1.4bn in Newcastle and Gateshead alone.

“We have a wide range of attractions here in North East England that we know appeal to global visitors - from the World Heritage Sites such as Durham Castle and Cathedral, to the Northumberland Coast which is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and of course our cultural attractions and icons, like the Angel of The North.”

The flights mean that passengers will now be able to fly to the Catalan capital up to six days a week, with easyJet also currently offering flights to and from the Spanish city on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.

The new flights are on sale now through vueling.com and travel agents.